The Comedy About A Bank Robbery will be "different beast" to The Play That Goes Wrong

A priceless diamond has been entrusted to the city bank, an institution so corrupt that even the security guards are on the take.

Can it be safely stored or will it all go horribly wrong?

Find out when The Comedy About A Bank Robbery plays Brighton Theatre Royal from November 13-17.

Damian Lynch plays bank manager Robin Freeboys in the show which comes from the same stable as the hugely-successful The Play That Goes Wrong.

“There are elements of The Play That Goes Wrong in this, but it is a different beast. It has the slapstick and the comedic elements that they are well known for, but this is much more a character driven and plot driven piece. It is set in Minneapolis in the 1950s, and Prince Ludwig is touring his diamond around.

“Actually, the action starts in Vancouver and one of the protagonists is planning an escape from prison to get across the US to steal this diamond. My character is the bank manager in Minneapolis city, and he is hoping that Prince Ludwig will store his diamond at my bank for a week. There are different factions that are interested in the diamond for various reasons, and the whole play unfolds in terms of who is going to get hold of the diamond. There are mistaken identities and song and dance and a lot of word play. It is a great evening’s entertainment.”
It’s not about collapsing stages – and it is not about deliberately forgotten lines in the manner of The Play That Goes Wrong.

“But the set is a very important part of the show. We as the cast carry it on and off as it very easily folds up according to what is taking place.

“The Play That Goes Wrong is what Mischief Theatre are most known for, and the story is that it came out of them being at drama school, but on the back of that success they have decided to do something slightly different for their second piece, and that’s this. This is the second in the series, but it is a different beast.

“We started rehearsing in July and we opened in Birmingham in August and we were there for a month, and then we started officially touring in September.”

A long tour lies ahead: “But what is great about touring is that obviously you are going to different venues, and every week is slightly different. Some stages have been raked stages where you are walking uphill for most of the play, and there have been some stages which are very small backstage. They are all different.

“Touring has its ups and downs. People miss home and they miss their families, but what is great about touring is that you become your own family. We are together every day and we really enjoy each other’s company.

“I don’t think the play changes a lot. It has to be very slick, so you can’t mess around with the words. But what changes is your relationship with the character that you are playing, and I think that is what keeps it fresh. You are always trying to discover new things in that relationship with the person you are playing on stage. Sometimes when you are touring and you are saying the same words every night, you can almost switch off, but that is definitely not happening with this play. We are all very focused on exploring the characters we are playing and really getting to know them more.”